Settable wheel control means in bed and cylinder creating machines



Oct. 15, 1968 J. A. MAUL ET AL 3,405,634

SETTABLE WHEEL CONTROL MEANS IN BED AND CYLINDER CREATING MACHINES Filed Sept. 12. 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 yvza E I van m gal,

O Fa Z INVENTORS.

Jan A. M401.

fine-s 7."ZoFc//AK DAV/p 0. A/var/rsa/v MK/QW ATTORNEY 5 Sheets-Shee t 2 ATTORNEY.

Oct. 15, 1968 MAUL ET AL SETTABLE WHEEL CONTROL MEANS IN BED AND CYLINDER CREATING MACHINES Filed Sept. 12, 1966 J. A. MAUL ET AL SETTABLE WHEEL CONTROL MEANS IN BED Oct. 15, 1968 AND CYLINDER CREATING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 12, 1966 N QR K .4 3X Z M47 l N 5 I40 1 J 0. Y 5

ATTORNEK Oct. 15, 1968 J. A. MAUL ET AL SETTABLE WHEEL CONTROL MEANS IN BED AND CYLINDER CREATING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 12, 1966 m m w W Fig. 4

A TTORNE Y.

Oct. 15, 1968 J. A. MAUL ETAL SETTABLE WHEEL CONTROL MEANS IN BED AND CYLINDER CREATING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 12, 1966 M m M WZMK WATA N AM A TTORNE).

United States Patent 3,405,634 SETTABLE WHEEL CONTROL MEANS IN BED AND CYLINDER CREATING MACHINES John A. Maul, Lyndhurst, James T. Zofchak, Mentor, and David D. Anderson, Richmond Heights, Ohio assignors to Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 579,458 Claims. (Cl. 101-45) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A data recorder for imprinting forms with fixed data from an embossed print-ing plate and variable data from manually settable print Wheels. The machine is provided with a bed for retaining the printing elements and the form, and includes a platen carriage adapted to be moved in a path from a home position to an actuated position and back to home position to perform a printing cycle. Gear wheels and gear segments of thin sheet metal stampings are provided for positioning the print wheels, and a blocking means controllingly associated with a stop means is provided to prevent movement of the platen carriage to the actuated position in all instances wherein at least one of the variable data print wheels has not been reset following a preceding printing operation. Movement of only a single print wheel is effective to unlock the printing mechanism to thereby permit operation of the platen carriage.

The present invention relates to a printing machine and, more particularly, to a data recorder of the kind commonly used in department stores, oil stations and the like to record credit transactions from embossed plates.

In recent years, credit transactions have come into widespread usage in many different fields and a variety of data recorders have been provided for use in these applications. Although some of these data recorders are intended to be general purpose machines for use in many different applications, it has been found that because of the variety of requirements for sales transaction applications, a more practical approach is to provide individual data recorders tailored to meet the specific requirements of each application.

One such data recorder is shown in Patent No. 3,018,- 725. This type of data recorder can be used for imprinting embossed printing plates or tokens upon carbon interleaved forms utilizing a dry roller platen, or it may be provided with an ink impregnated roller platen for imprinting single part forms. The machine is also provided with a gear segment and rack arrangement to effect lowering of the roller platen into printing engagement with the form and embossed card when the roller platen is moved in one direction, and to raise the roller platen out of printing engagement when the roller platen is moved in the opposite direction to prevent double imaging or smudging of the form. Although this machine does not provide for the imprinting of variable data, it has found wide usage in applications such as credit unions, department stores, and other areas wherein the variable data or money amount of the transaction is not required, and provides a printing arrangement affording accurate printing impressions at minimum machine cost.

Another data recorder of the prior art is shown in Patent No. 3,138,091. This data recorder has all of the feafeatures of the hereinabove referred to data recorders or their equivalents and, additionally, includes variable print wheels which are selectively settable under control of key set levers. This type of data recorder is commonly used in oil service stations or other retail outlets to record the name, address and account number of the customer ice as well as the amount of the sale. The variable print wheels may be provided with stylized numerals, or they may be provided with codes associated with each of the different numerals provided on the print wheels, or both. Subsequently, the codes or stylized numerals imprinted on the forms are machine read with automatic data proc essing equipment, These same codes and/or stylized numerals are also provided on the embossed card, in association with the account number, and are accordingly also imprinted on the form for subsequent machine reading. The wheel setting arrangement and the means for releasing the head to prevent dual impressions have, however, proved fairly costly to construct.

The present invention provides an improved wheel setting mechanism which can be constructed at less cost and operates more efiiciently than that of said Patent No. 3,138,091, and incorporates in cooperative relation therewith a platen construction similar to that of said Patent No. 3,018,725 whereby to provide an improved data recorder capable of providing accurate impressions both from tokens and from settable wheels by a machine of enhanced performance capable of being manufactured at significantly reduced cost.

Patent No. 3,334,582, dated Aug. 8, 1967, and Patent No. 3,322,062, dated May 30, 1967, show a flag means and/ or a lock-out device for a data recorder of the kind, for example, disclosed in said Patent No. 3,138,091 to prevent operation of the data recorder, and to afford a visual signal to the machine operator in the event that the operator forgets to reset the variable data print wheels after each printing operation. However, the lock-out device and the flag means described in these patents differ from the present invention in that they comprise stop and flag members on the base of the machine which either prevents closing of the pivotally mounted printing head or affords a visual alarm, in those instances wherein at least one of the variable data print wheel is not reset. Movement of any one of the print wheels is effective to displace the stop member out of the path of the printing head as it is pivoted down into printing position on the base of the machine, or to displace the flag to inform the operator that the machine is ready for a printing operation.

Although the lock-out and signal devices disclosed in the aforementioned patents are reliable and effective in their operation, they are only suitable for use with a data recorder provided with a pivotally mounted head which is adapted to be moved between an open or inactive position and a printing position wherein the printing head is closed against the bed of the machine, as shown for example in said Patent No. 3,138,091.

The present invention, however, provides a lock-out ar rangement for a data recorder of the character disclosed, for example, in said Patent No. 3,018,725, i.e., wherein there is no pivotally mounted printing head but instead the machine embodies a platen carriage movable across the machine bed from a home position to an actuated position to effect an imprinting operation. Thus, the lockout device of the present invention prevents movement of the platen carriage along its tracks to the actuated position (rather than preventing movement of a printing head to a closed position) in all instances wherein at least one of the variable data print wheels has not been reset following a preceding printing operation.

The present invention also provides a data recorder for r imprinting both conventional data and stylized numerals from an embossed plate and, also, stylized numerals from manually positionable variable print wheels. The data recorder further provides for accurate registration of the form to be imprinted in relation to the printing devices, to obtain proper positioning of the impression which is highly critical if the form is to be properly read by the data processing equipment.

Further, the data recorder of the present invention includes an improved and simplified arrangement to effect locking of the printing mechanism in those instances where the variable amount print wheels have not been repositioned from an immediately preceding printing operation. Movement of only a single print wheel is effective to unlock the printing mechanism to thereby permit operation of the machine.

The data recorder of the present invention provides for imprinting onto a form fixed data from a customers credit card and variable data from selectively settable print wheels. The fixed data may include the name and address of the customer and an account number, and the variable data may pertain to, for example, the money amount of the sales transaction. Advantageously, the account number on the credit card and the numerals on the variable amount print wheels may be stylized characters of the kind used for optical character recognition or magnetic ink character recognition (MICR). In this way, the forms imprinted on the data recorder can be processed accurately and rapidly with automatic data processing equipment.

The data recorder of the present invention also includes a novel locking arrangement to prevent operation of the data recorder in the event that the operator forgets to reset the variable data print wheels after each printing operation. To eliminate the possibility that the store clerk, station attendant, etc. may record a new sales transaction using the information set into the variable data print Wheels for a previous transaction, the present machine requires that at least one of the print wheels be moved or reset before an impression on the form can be made.

Other objects, features, and advantages will appear hereinafter as the description proceeds.

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a data recorder embodying the present invention and shows the positions of the printing devices with respect to the form to be imprinted;

FIGURE 2 is a section taken on line 2--2 of FIGURE 1 with the keyboard cover removed;

FIGURE 2a is an oblique detail view taken substantially on line 2a2a of FIGURE 2 with the cover removed;

FIGURE 3 is an oblique view taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, with portions broken away, drawn to a larger scale, but showing the keyboard cover in place;

FIGURE 4 is a detail section taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 1, drawn to a larger scale;

FIGURE 5 is a section taken on line 55 of FIGURE 1, drawn to a larger scale; and

FIGURE 6 is a detail section taken on line 66 of FIGURE 5.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the data recorder of the present invention comprises a base 10 having mounted thereon an anvil or bed 12, a roller platen carriage 14 adapted to be moved in a path across the bed 12 to effect an imprinting operation, and a keyboard indicated generally at 16. The keyboard includes keyset levers K1 to KS for manually positioning variable data print wheels P1 to P5 as will be further explained hereinafter.

The bed 12 of the data recorder may also be provided with a dater 20 and an auxiliary or station plate 22. An embossed credit car CR is positioned face up on the surface of the bed 12 and is retained by corner guides 24 and 26 and spring gauges 32 and 33. A form F to be imprinted is positioned on the bed 12 and overlies the print wheels 18, dater 20, station plate 22 and that portion of the credit card CR bearing embossed data. The form F is properly registered and held in place by surfaces 23 and 25 and corner guides 28 and 30. The base 10 may also be provided with a well or a pocket such as shown at 34 for storing imprinted forms or blank forms to be imprinted.

Before proceeding with a description of the variable print mechanism, it should be pointed out that while five variable print wheels are shown in the drawings of the present invention, the machine may be provided with any number of such wheels. Also, since the set of mechanism comprising a keyset lever, corresponding print wheels and associated mechanisms related to each digit are identical in operation with those related to other digits, only one set will be described hereinafter.

As shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the lever K3 is pivotally supported on a shaft 36 which is fixed in a pair of side plates 38 and 40. These side plates are mounted to the underside of the bed 12, and extend rearwardly to a position below the keyboard 16. The lever K3 is preferably a metal stamping and comprises three radially extending members designated finger 41, gear segment 46 and support arm 50. The finger 41 and support arm 50, in each case, are, of course, offset from the plane of the corresponding gear segment 46 by an amount sufficient to spread the control portions to a workable spacing while the gear segments remain closely spaced to drive the adjacent print wheels. In the case of the centrally positioned print wheel P3, however, the finger 41, support arm 50 and gear segment 46 may be arranged to lie in a common plane. The finger 41 is provided with an car 42 for retaining one end of an indicator strip 49, the other end being retainedv by the support arm 50. Although not shown in the drawings, the indicator strip 49 is provided with digits 0-9 corresponding to the digits on the print wheel P3 to provide a visual indication through a window W3 of the digit selected for printing. The finger 41 is also provided with a knob 44 to facilitate grasping and moving of the lever K3.

Each of the levers K1 to K5 is also preferably provided with a detenting mechanism for retaining the lever at any selected position. While not an unusual arrangement and hence not shown in the drawings, the detenting means may comprise an arcuate member conforming generally in shape to the indicator strip 49 and having a series of notches in one edge thereof corresponding in number to the digits on the print wheel. A spring loaded member suitably mounted on each of the levers is spring urged into the notches. This indexing or detenting means affords an initial or coarse setting of the print wheels, the final more accurate alignment of the print whels being effected in a manner to be described hereinafter.

A gear wheel G3 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 52 supported in the side plates 38 and 40, and is in mesh with the gear segment 46 of the lever K3 and a pinion 54 integral with the print wheel P3 as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. The print wheel P3 is rotatably supported on a shaft 55 fixed in the side plates 38 and 40, see FIGURE 4, such that the character on the selected face of the print wheel extends upwardly through an opening in the bed 12 to lie in a printing plane. Thus, when the lever K3 is moved to select a desired character to be printed, as viewed through the window W3, the gear segment 46 and the gear wheel G3 are effective to rotate the print wheel P3 to present the selected character on the print wheel in proper printing position.

The keyboard 16 is designed to provide an arcuate configuration, as can be seen by the indicator strip 49 in FIGURE 2, such that the keyset levers are within easy reach and the characters selected for printing are in full view to the machine operator.

At this point, it may be mentioned that the levers K1 to KS and corresponding gears G1 to G5 are all made quite inexpensively as very thin sheet metal stampings. Assuming that print wheels P1 to P5 are to carry on their faces numerals of usable size, and allowing for suitable positioning notches between the numerals, the print wheels will normally by about 1 /2 inches in diameter. To provide the proper travel for the wheel controlling elements, the gears will, therefore, have a pitch diameter in the neighborhood of three inches, and the pitch radius of the sectors on the levers will be approximately 3% inches. Manufacture of special gear profiles in these sizes would be quite costly. By stamping the gears and levers from sheet steel less than inch in thickness, a fully functioning arrangement is provided at much reduced cost. These large, thin parts can, according to the present invention, be loosely mounted on supporting shafts and assembled in a novel manner which provides positive control and meshing of each gear with its proper sector with no chance for lateral unmeshing but does so in an unusually simple and inexpensive way.

Associated with the shaft 36 is a spacer means 36a which fills the space between the end plates 38 and 40 and which has one slot for each of the levers K1 to KS thereby accurately locating them on the shaft 36. Preferably the means 36a consists of a stack of identical plates 36b, preferably molded of plastic material and arranged as shown in FIGURE 2a with their thinner portions providing spacers for the levers K1 to KS and their thicker portions lying in contact with each other and spacing the side plates 38 and 40. Preferably the side plate 38 carries a small block 380 in the vicinity of shaft 36 to fill the unnecessary space alforded by the thin section of the endmost filler plate 36b. As can be seen, the levers K1 to K5 are kept properly spaced on the shaft 36 which loosely receives them by means of the stack of plates 36b.

A similar means 52a provides the locating and spacing function for the gears G1 to G5, and this means is preferably constituted by a similar stack of plates 52b with thin gear spacing portions and thick portions which stack to space the side plates. It will also be noted that one corner of each plate extends into the area wherein the gears and levers mesh, so as to confine the gears and the sector portions in slots narrow enough to insure meshing and prevent any possibility of lateral separation. This guiding action at the point of mesh makes possible the use of gear and lever stampings of the type heretofore described in a fully effective manner.

In order to accurately position the print wheels P1 to P5 and to hold them against movement during an imprinting operation, the machine is provided with a pair of pawls 56 and 67 adapted to successively engage and align the gear wheels G1 to G5 and the notches in the print wheels respectively. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 5, pawl 56 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 58 supported in the side plates 38 and 40 and is spring biased by springs 64 and 66 in an anti-clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 5, so as to urge a nose 60 of the pawl 56 into engagement with the gear wheels when the roller platen carriage 14 is moved through a printing operation, as will be further explained below. It will be observed that the pawl nose 60 has a sharp edge and that the teeth on the gears G1 to G5 are formed with a sharp pointed ogival shape. This provides assurance that proper aligning engagement of the pawl with the gear teeth can be achieved even in cases of fairly severe initial misalignment when, for example, the above-described detenting mechanism has failed to perform fully in the manner intended. To provide proper coaction with the gears, the teeth on sectors 46 have a corresponding deep notch configuration and the teeth on the pinions 54 have an undercut notch configuration which prevents interference with the extended points of the teeth of the gears G1 to G5.

Pawl 57 is mounted between the side plates 38 and 4t) and is adapted to be slidably movable in channels 57 into and out of engagement with aligned notches in the peripheries of print wheels. Both the sliding movement of the pawl 57 and the pivotal movement of the pawl 56 occur simultaneously under control of a rocker member 68, pivotally supported on a shaft 70 fixed in theslde plates 38 and 40, and provided with an arm 72 in driving engagement with the pawl 57 and a leg 74 adapted to coact with the pawl 56. I

With the roller platen carriage in a home or start POSI- tion as shown in the drawings, the rocker 68 and pawls 56 and 57 are in the positions shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 5. However, when the roller platen carriage is moved through a printing stroke to an actuated position, from left to right as viewed in FIGURES 1 and 3, the rocker 68 is caused to pivot about shaft 70, as will be further explained in detail below, in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURES 2 and 5, thereby moving the leg 74 of the rocker out of engagement with the pawl 56 and thereafter to slide the pawl 57 into engagement with the notches in print wheels. Movement of the leg 74 away from the pawl 56 permits the pawl 56 to pivot about shaft 58, as a result of the springs 64 and 66, and to move the nose 60 of the pawl between adjacent teeth on the gear wheels. The rocker 68 is biased in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURES 2 and 5 by a pair of springs 61 and 63. As shown in FIGURES 3 and 5, the springs are connected to a pair of pins 65 and 67, the pin 65 being fixed in the rocker 68 and extending outwardly through clearance openings 69 in the side plates 38 and 40, and the pin 67 being fixed in the side plates 38 and 40. The parts are so designed that the pawls engage in sequence. First the nose 60 of the pawl 56 penetrates between the gear teeth until it stops, designated 60a, strike upon the side plates 38 and 40. Thereafter the leg 74 leaves the pawl 56 and continued motion of the rocker 68 produces final locating of the print wheels by driving the pawl 57 into the print wheel notches.

The means for imparting pivotal movement to the rocker 68 comprises an actuator lever best shown in FIGURES 3 and 5. The actuator 80 extends across the front of the machine generally parallel to the platen carriage travel, is pivotally mounted on a pin 82 provided in a mounting bracket 84 aflixed to the underside of the bed 12, and is biased by a Weak torsion spring 86 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 3. One end of the actuator 80 provides an arcuate camming surface 88 which extends toward the left side of the machine as seen in FIGURE 3, is displaced forwardly of the main body of the actuator, and terminates in a straight section 90. The surface 88 and section 90 are adapted to contact the upper surface of an actuating roller 92 on the carriage, the latter when the carriage 14 is in its home position. The other end of the actuator 80 extends towards the rocker 68 and terminates in a flat ear 94 which coacts with the rocker. The springs 61 and 63, acting through the rocker 68 on ear 94, tend to rock the actuator member in a counterclockwise direction, overcoming the spring 86 which is merely for maintaining contact between the parts. Preferably, the rocker 68 is provided With a screw 96 with which the ear 94 coacts to afford an adjustment for properly relating the arc of travel of the actuator member to the operative swingof the rocker and thus to secure actuation of the pawls 56 and 57 at the proper time.

From the description thus far, it will be seen that movement of the roller platen carriage 14 to its actuated position, from left to right in FIGURE 3, causes the actuator roller 92 to ride out from under the straight section 90 of the actuator 80 and into rolling contact with the camming surface 88 of the actuator, thereby allowing the actuator to pivot about the pin 82 in a counterclockwise direction. This motion allows the rocker 68 to be pivoted by the springs 61 and 63 in a clockwise direction as seen in FIGURES 2 and 5, to properly position the pawls 56 and 57 respectively in working relation with the gear wheels G1 to G5 and the notches in the print wheels P1 to P5. At the same time the pawls 56 and 57 are fully engaged with the gears and the notches to securely retain the print wheels against movement, the pivotal movement of the rocker 68 and the actuator 80 is terminated, and the roller 92 runs beyond the end of the camming surface 88, the actuator 80 then being in the position shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 3. Further movement of the roller platen carriage 14 to the right completes the printing stroke. The return movement of the carriage first brings the roller 92 back beneath the camming surface 88, and further movement to its home position restores the mechanism to the full line positions shown in the drawings.

Turning now to the roller platen carriage 14, and re- 7 ferring especially to FIGURES 2, 3, and 6, it will be seen that the carriage includes an inverted U-shaped frame comprising a top 100, a depending back plate 102 and depending legs 104 and 106. The leg 104 is provided with a pair of rollers 108, 108 rotatably mounted on pins 109, 109, and the leg 106 is provided with a single roller 110 rotatably mounted on a pin 111, such that the rollers 108, 108 are in rolling contact with the upper surfaces of the bed 12 at one longitudinal margin thereof, and the roller 110 is in rolling contact with the upper surface of the bed 12 at the other longitudinal margin thereof. The leg 104 is also provided with a roller 112 rotatably mounted on an eccentric stud 114, and the leg 106 is provided with a roller 116 rotatably mounted on an eccentric stud 118, such that the roller 112 is in rolling contact with the lower surface of the bed 12 at the margin below the rollers 108, 108, and the roller 116 is in rolling contact with the lower surface of the bed 12 at the margin below the roller 110. Thus, the rollers 108,

108, 110, 112 and 116 support and guide the roller platen carriage 14 in its movement across the bed of the machine, and the eccentric studs 114 and 118 permit adjustment of the rollers 112 and 116 respectively in relation to the rollers 108, 108 and 110, to obtain proper positioning of the rollers against the bed for travel of the roller platen carriage 14 through a printing stroke and back to home position with smooth, accurately guided motion free of detrimental play.

The back plate 102 of the U-shaped frame of the carriage 14 has a housing 120 fastened thereto as by screws 121, 121 for rotatably supporting a roller platen 122 as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6. Since the platen structure is disclosed in detail in the aforementioned Patent No. 3,018,725, only a brief description will be given herein. With reference to FIGURES 5 and 6, the roller platen 122 is provided with a shaft 124 which is rotatably supported at its ends in the housing 120. The central portion of the shaft 124 upon which the platen 122 is rotatable is slightly eccentric to the rotary mounting portions. One end of the shaft 124 is provided with a gear sector 126 which coacts with a pair of racks 128 and 130 on the bed 12 of the machine (see FIGURE 1) to effect lowering and raising of the roller platen 122 as the carriage 14 is moved through a printing stroke and back to home position respectively.

The housing 120 is provided with a spring loaded plunger 132 which acts as a detent for the gear sector 126 and maintains the gear sector either in the position shown in FIGURE 6 wherein the roller platen 122 is in its raised position, or in a position where the detent 132 is located in a dwell 134 of the gear sector wherein the roller platen would be in its lowered or printing position (the position indicated in phantom in FIGURE 6). In this regard, as the carriage 14 is moved from its home position shown in FIGURE 6, the gear sector 126 engages the rack 128 causing the gear sector to rotate and, through the eccentric mounting of the roller platen 122, lower the roller platen to the printing plane. The roller platen remains at the printing plane and the gear sector 126 merely idles over the rack 130 until the carriage reaches the actuated position at the other end of the bed 12 and the printing stroke is completed. On return movement of the carriage 14 to its home position, the gear sector 126 engages the rack 130 and is rotated in the opposite direction, thereby restoring the roller platen to its raised position to prevent any smudging or double imaging of the form F as it passes over the bed 12 in its travel to home position.

The locking arrangement mentioned above, to prevent operation of the data recorder unless at least one of the variable data print wheels is reset following a printing cycle, will now be described with reference to FIGURES 2, 3 and 5. As shown therein, a sensing arm 140' IS pivotally supported on the pin 67 provided in the side plates 38 and 40, and has a pair of legs 142 and a body 144 extending downwardly and rearwardly respectively from the pin 67. The legs 142 straddle the print wheels G1 to G5 and are provided with suitable cutouts 143 for rotatably supporting a sensing roller 146. The body 144 of the sensing arm is provided with a notch 143 which receives one end of a U-shaped over-center spring to retain the sensing arm in a first or a second position as will be further explained below. The spring 150 is held in place against the side plate 40 by a holder 152 fastened to the outside face of the side plate, and the holder is also provided with a notch 154 which receives the other end of the spring 150 as shown in FIGURE 5.

A blocking member is also pivotally mounted on the pin 67, adjacent the outer face of the sensing arm 140, and is lightly biased by a spring 162 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 5. The blocking member extends forwardly from the pin 67 and terminates in a recessed nose 164 adjacent the pin 65, and is further provided with a depending stop 166 which abuts an ear 168 on the sensing arm 140.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the rocker 68 is provided with an adjustable push rod in the form of a screw 170 having a rounded end portion extending towards the sensing arm 140. Assuming the parts to be in an unblocking position with the sensing arm swung to its clockwise limit and the nose 164 of the blocking member accordingly raised slightly above the path of the pin 65, as the carriage 14 is moved forward on a printing stroke, the rocker 68 is caused to pivot in a clockwise direction, and the rounded end portion of the screw 170 contacts the sensing arm 140 and pushes the same, in an anticlockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 2, to position the sensing roller 146 to a first or sensing position against a pair of teeth of each of the gear wheels G1 to G5. This pivotal movement of the sensing arm 140 also shifts the position of the overcenter spring 150 such that the end of the spring engaged with the notch 148 in the sensing arm is acting upwardly to maintain the sensing arm in a set position wherein the sensing roller 146 is engaged with the gear wheels. By this same time, the pin 65 in the rocker 68 has already moved somewhat under the lower surface 172 of the blocking member 160 thereby preventing the blocking member from following the motion of the sensing arm 140 and slightly stretching the spring 162. As the roller platen carriage 14 is returned to home position, the rocker 68 is pivoted in the opposite direction withdrawing the pin 65 from beneath the blocking member so that the latter is drawn into an effective blocking position as shown in FIGURE 5. The sensing arm 140 and the sensing roller 146, of course, remain in the set sensing position described above as a result of the spring 150 biasing the sensing arm 140 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 5 so that no interference to return of the blocking member to blocking position is occasioned thereby,

Until such time as at least one of the keyset levers of the keyboard 16 is reset, the sensing arm 140 will remain in the sensing position. Therefore, if an attempt is made to perform another printing stroke without resetting a print wheel P1 to PS, the pin 65 in the rocker will strike the recessed nose 164 of the blocking member and prevent normal pivotal moevment of the rocker 68. The rocker 68 will, therefore, fail to drive the actuating lever through its full normal angle and hence it will fail to follow the actuating roller 92 on the carriage 14.

The actual stop means for preventing travel of the roller platen carriage 14 comprises a blocking ear 176, formed upwardly from the actuator 80, which is adapted to be engaged by a flange 177 provided on the leg 104 of the roller platen carriage as shown in FIGURES 3 and 6. The ear 176 is preferably provided with a rubber pad 178 or the like to absorb the shock and reduce the noise of the flange 177 striking the ear. The position of the ear 176 is such that the striking of the pin 65 against the blocking member 160 prevents the actuator 80 from completing its normal counterclockwise pivotal movement, thereby presenting the ear directly in the path of the flange 177 as the carriage 14 is moved from home position.

To free the machine for a printing operation, movement of any lever of the keyboard 16 is effective to impart rotative motion to a corresponding gear wheel such as G3, and this motion is enough to cause the teeth of the gear wheel that are engaged by the sensing roller 146 to nudge the roller and the sensing arm 140 over center to its second position out of engagement with the gear teeth. As the sensing arm 140 is moved, the blocking member 160 is also rocked slightly upwardly. In this position the spring 150 is effective to retain the sensing roller 146 out of contact with the gear wheel, and the nose 164 of the blocking member out of the path of the pin 65. When the pin 65 is thus allowed to swing, the rocker 68 and the actuator 80 are allowed to complete their pivotal movement as the platen carriage moves out, there-by allowing the ear 176 on the actuator to move downwardly far enough to clear the path of the flange 177.

In addition to the blocking arrangement described above, the present device also provides another blocking means to prevent travel of the platen carriage to its actuated position in those instances where at least one of the keyset levers has been reset, but the lever was not properly positioned in exact register with its detent position. In such a case, the nose 60 of the pawl 56 may squarely strike the tip of one of the teeth of the gear wheel thus leaving the corresponding print wheel in an intermediate position, and the pawl 57 is prevented from moving into the notches of the print wheels. Rather, the pawl 57 abuts the face of the print wheel and prevents further pivotal movement of the rocker 68 and the actuator 80 through their complete travel. Thus, the blocking ear 176 is not lowered far enough to clear the path of the flange 177 and prevents travel of the platen carriage to actuated position.

The design of the pawl 57 and the notches in the print wheels is such that the notches provide a depth related to an appropriate difference in the travel of the pawl 57 in the two situations, and the pawl 57 is so positioned that it strikes the print wheel face at a time when the ear 176 has still not entirely cleared the path of the flange 177. Therefore, if the pawl 57 senses the face of the print wheel, and is not seated to the full depth in the notch, the actuator 80 is prevented from complete travel and, of course, the car 176 is not lowered to a level to clear the path of the flange 177 when the platen carriage is moved from its home position. The platen carriage is thereby locked against printing movement until the print wheel setting is corrected.

A brief description will now be given of the overall operation of the data recorder of the present invention. As shown in FIGURE 1, an embossed token or credit card CR is positioned on the bed 12 of the machine and a form F to be imprinted is placed thereover. Next, the variable print wheels P1 to P5 are set through the facilities of the keyboard 16, to record data such as the money amount of the sale. As mentioned earlier, the print wheels are provided with stylized numerals to imprint the form with characters suitable for machine scanning.

The operator then grasps the roller platen carriage 14 and moves it towards the right as viewed in FIGURE 1. As the gear sector 126 engages the rack 128 it effects lowering of the roller platen 122 to the printing plane Where it remains until the carriage reaches the far end of the machine. At the same time, as the roller platen is being lowered, the roller 92 on the carriage is moving out from under the straight section 90 of the actuator 80 to allow the actuator to pivot in an anticlockwise direction as seen in FIGURE 3, in response to pressure on the car 94 from the rocker 68, and lowering the ear 176 on the actuator out of the path of the flange 177. This permits the rocker 68 to pivot in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURES 2 and 5, and effects the setting of the sensing arm 140 to the first position with the sensing roller 146 engaged with the gear wheels G1 to G5 where it is held by the spring 150. Pivoting of the blocking member 160 down into the path of the pin 65 in the rocker 68 is prevented since the pin already underlies the tip of the blocking member before it starts to swing. Continued pivoting of the rocker 68 brings about movement of the nose 60 of the pawl 56 into engagement with the gear wheels and finally movement of the pawl 57 into the substantially aligned notches in the print wheels. This engagement of the pawls with the gears and the print wheels is effective to align the print wheels and hold them securely in place during imprinting. Thereafter, continued movement of the carriage across the bed to actuated position imprints the form from all of the printing devices provided on the bed of the machine.

On return movement of the carriage to the home position, the gear sector 126 engages the rack causing the roller platen 122 to be raised so that it does not contact the form or the printing devices and thus cause double imaging or smuding of the form. Further travel of the carriage brings the roller 92 into contact with the cam ming surface 88 of the actuator 80 and pivots the actuator to the full line position shown in FIGURE 3. As the actuator 80 is pivoted, the ear 94 bears downwardly against the screw 96 and pivots the rocker 68 in the opposite direction. This pivoting action of the rocker effects withdrawal of the pawls 56 and 57 from the gear wheels and the notches and, also, allows the blocking member 160 to pivot so that the nose 164 thereof is adjacent the pin 65 in the rocker. The sensing arm however, continues to be held by the spring with the roller 146 engaged with the teeth of the gear wheels.

On removal of the imprinted form and the credit card, the machine is in condition to receive a new credit card and a blank form for another printing operation. However, if the machine operator fails to perform the operation of setting the variable data print wheels, the machine will be locked against operation by the ear 176. This locked condition is created as a result of the pin 65 of the rocker 68 striking the blocking member 160, thereby preventing further pivoting motion of the rocker 68 and the actuator 80. With the actuator 80 being held against further pivoting, the ear 176 on the actuator is in the path of the flange 177 of the carriage 14 and is effective to block movement of the carriage through a printing stroke. Movement of any of the levers of the keyboard is effective, through the gear wheels, to pivot the sensing arm 140 to the second position, disengage the sensing roller 146 from the teeth of the gear wheels and restore the blocking member to the ineffective position out of the path of travel of the pin 65 in the rocker 68. The sensing arm 140 continues to be held in the second position by the spring 150 until such time as another printing operation is performed, the completion of which resets the sensing arm.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides a data recorder which is admirably suited to imprinting form sets with fixed data from an embossed credit card and variable data from selectively positionable print wheels. It also provides novel means to prevent operation of the machine in those instances where the machine operator fails to set the print wheels for imprinting the variable data on the form. These combined features result in a data recorder that is reliable in operation, versatile in its use and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, it is to be understood that these are capable of variation and modification. Accordingly, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such variations and modifications as may fall within the true spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A data recorder comprising:

a bed for holding a form to be imprinted;

a platen carriage movable in a path across said bed from a home position to an actuated position and back to home position to perform a printing cycle;

a roller platen rotationally supported on said carriage;

a plurality of settable print wheels in said bed located for printing cooperation with said platen;

positioning means for setting each print wheel to a desired setting;

stop means movable into the path of the platen carriage effective to prevent movement of the carriage to the actuated posiiton and out of the path of the carriage to permit movement of the carriage to the actuated position;

blocking means contnollingly associated with said stop means, said blocking means being movable to a first position to effect positioning of the stop means in the path of the carriage and to a second position to effect positioning of the stop means out of the path of the carriage;

means responsive to the motion of the carriage through a printing cycle for moving said blocking means to said first position; and

means responsive to movement of one :of said positioning means for moving said blocking means to said second position.

2. A data recorder as set forth in claim 1 in which the said two last-named means for moving said blocking means comprise:

sensing means movable to a first position in contact I with said positioning means in response to movement of the platen carriage to actuated position, and to a second position out of contact with said positioning means in response to movement of one of said positioning means.

3. A data recorder as set forth in claim 2 in which there is provided retaining means for holding said sensing means in either of its two positions.

4. A data recorder as set forth in claim 2 in which the positioning means comprises gear wheels with which the sensing means is adapted to move into and out of contact.

5. A data recorder as set forth in claim 4 which also includes means responsive to motion of the platen carriage to its actuated position for aligning the teeth of said gear wheels prior to contact by said sensing means.

6. A data recorder as set forth in claim 1 in which the positioning means comprises:

a pinion integral with each of said print wheels;

a gear wheel made of a sheet metal stamping associated with each said pinion and in mesh therewith;

a gear segment made of a sheet metal stamping associated with each said gear Wheel and in mesh therewith, said gear segment being supported for pivotal movement;

spacer means for guiding and aligning said gear wheels and said gear segments extending into the area of mesh of each pair of said gear wheels and said gear segments; and

manual control means for pivoting each said gear segment for positioning said print wheels.

7. A data recorder as set forth in claim 6 in which the spacer means comprises:

a stack of plates providing narrow slots therebetween, each slot confining therein a pair of said gear Wheels and said gear segments.

8. A data recorder comprising:

a bed for holding a form to be imprinted;

a platen carriage movable across said bed from a home posiiton to an actuated position and back to home position to perform a printing cycle;

a roller platen rotationally supported on said carriage;

,a plurality of settable print wheels in said bed located for printing cooperation with said platen;

positioning means for setting each print wheel to a desired setting including:

a pinion associated with each said print wheel and integral therewith;

a gear wheel associated with each said pinion and in mesh therewith;

a gear segment pivotally supported associated with each said gear wheel and in mesh therewith;

blocking means movable to a first position effective to prevent movement of said carriage to said actuated position and to a second position which permits movement of the carriage to said actuated position;

pawl means movable into engagement with said pinions and said gear wheels for aligning said print wheels;

rocker means for moving said pawl means into engagement with said pinions and said gear wheels in response to movement of said platen carriage to said actuated position, and for moving said blocking means to said first position and said pawl means out of engagement with said pinions and said gear wheels in response to movement of said platen carriage back to said home position; and

means responsive to movement of any one of said gear segments for moving said blocking means to said second position.

9. A data recorder comprising:

a bed for holding a form to be imprinted;

a platen carriage movable in a path across said bed from a home position to an actuated position and back to home position to perform a printing cycle;

a roller platen rotationally supported on said carriage;

a plurality of settable print wheels in said bed located for printing cooperation with said platen;

positioning means for setting each print wheel to a desired setting;

stop means movable into the path of the platen carriage effective to prevent movement of the carriage to the actuated position and out of the path of the carriage to permit movement of the carriage to the actuated position;

blocking means controllingly associated with said stop means, said blocking means being movable to a first position to effect positioning of the stop means in the path of the carriage and to a second position to effect positioning of the stop means out of the path of the carriage; and

means for sensing the set positions of said print wheels and preventing movement of said blocking means to its second position if any of said print wheels are improperly positioned.

10. A data recorder as set forth in claim 1 in which the positioning means comprises a gear train for moving said print wheels comprising a gear with sharp pointed ogival teeth, and in which the last-named means comprises a sensing member engageable between and actuable by said pointed teeth.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 881,559 3/1908 Dunlany 10197 1,023,570 4/1912 Lang 101-97 2,409,232 10/1946 Wesely 10195 2,435,434 2/1948 Kosmer 101--95 2,439,679 4/1948 Silverman 101-95 2,482,420 9/ 1949 Keuper 10195 2,573,756 11/1951 Anderson 10l95 2,588,374 3/1952 Erickson l0l97 X 2,672,810 3/1954 Keuper 10l95 3,138,091 6/1964 Maul 101269 X 3,322,062 5/ 1967 Maul 10145 3,334,582 8/1967 Mahoney 10145 WILLIAM B. PENN, Primary Examiner. 

